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Monday, February 1, 2016

Needeen's Love - Lost and Found: Valentine’s Edition Bloghop

When
Lexi was a young girl with blonde ponytails that bounced when she ran and
played, she had no idea she’d be famous before the age of thirty. Perhaps not
for artist she longed to be but instead for whom she loved, but famous
nonetheless. But that fame wouldn’t come for another twenty-five years.

Right
now, all Lexi wondered was if Santa remembered the watercolors she wanted. And
Santa gave her that and more. Brushes, paints, canvases, and other supplies for
an aspiring young artist were beautifully wrapped and left under the tiny tree.
Mommy whispered that Santa had a special place in his heart for talented
artists like the two of them.

Lexi would
never forget that Christmas. Not because Santa had been so generous, but
because cancer took mommy away that year. Lexi used her mother’s death to
inspire her. She pursued her love for the arts and attended art school in New
York. That
passion eventually led Lexi to her second love in life, Adam Needeen. She met
him in SoHo while attending an art show for her friend Anna.

Adam
and Lexi were inseparable. Their love was instant. The kind people whispered in
envy about as they walked by hand-in-hand. Of course, it may have been because
they recognized Adam from his newfound fame. He had rave reviews of his restaurant
in the New York Post and according to them “It wasn’t just a weekend excursion,
it was a culinary adventure.”

The
five-star review earned him a short interview on Channel 12 News, the local
news station on Long Island. It caught the eye of Kelly Ripa and Adam was
booked to appear on Live! with Regis and Kelly the following week.

Regis
loved the concept of this restaurant experience and showcased it on the air. “Where
else can you spend a weekend in Connecticut lounging by the pool, cows chewing grass in the pasture, and then be in the hustle and bustle of
New York City the next day eating the same damn cow that was mooing at you
just the day before?” The audience laughed hysterically while Regis mooed at them. Behind him a clip ran of him and Kelly eating rare steaks.

And
it was that laughter that took the fuel out of PETA’s protests and into the
rockets that propelled Adam’s success to the nation’s most sought after spot.
The waiting list was months long. New York may have been riddled with crime, a
rising serial killer, hookers on every corner, and loads of cocaine, but
Needeen’s was soon a hit and so were Lexi and Adam. Even with all the time they
spent away from each other because of work and the gallery.

Everyone
expected the wedding to be at Needeen’s. Instead they wed in the rustic setting
of the farm. Hundreds of family and friends were in attendance. It was a
picture perfect ceremony filled with love and happiness. Even the paparazzi that
showed up were invited inside the cozy stable to attend. Cameras snapped and
flashed.

Life
for Adam and Lexi was magical. Lexi’s artwork graced the walls of Adam’s
restaurant and it wasn’t long before she too was noticed for her own talents
though not quite like Adam. Finally, she had her own art show.

As
they walked out of her show, police surrounded them. One of them handcuffed Adam
and read him his rights. He was charged with 17 counts of first-degree and for
forcing unknowing acts of cannibalism.

Adam
didn’t protest but instead turned to Lexi and said, “I’m sorry, honey, I…I just
couldn’t stop. I tried but I couldn’t, not after the first one, I’m sorry…I,”
but she didn’t hear anything after that. She’d fainted.

For
the next several days Lexi’s love for Adam was tested as the story of his
double life unfolded. In the end, she couldn’t stand beside a serial killer who fed his victims to his guests as their entrees.

Lexi’s
disgust and disbelief grew as she discovered that the man she loved so deeply had more
compassion for the cows in their pastures then the humans walking the city
streets. When Adam was shown by PETA how his cows would be brought to
slaughter, Adam couldn’t bring himself to do it.

Not
wanting to disappoint Lexi and close the restaurant, he became enraged at the
activist, losing his temper and accidently killing him. And that’s when the
idea struck him. Why not kill those that deserve killing? Drug dealers, thieves,
and the like.

A
new line cook eager to impress Adam dug into the head chef's supplies not knowing it was off limits to everyone in the restaurant. He also didn't why it wasn't meant for anyone else but Adam. It hadn't been boiled down enough for the restaurant's diners to eat.

And so, the line cook didn’t see the small bone that was mixed in among the risotto but the diner, also
a medical examiner, did and pointed it out to his friend, a coroner, who was dining
with him. It wasn’t long before the investigation was launched, Needeen’s was
closed, and Adam was spending life in prison.

Now
the cameras snapped and flashed again. Only this time it wasn’t to celebrate
the wedding of the decade. It was to capture the downward spiral her life had
become. Snap. Flash. Snap. Flash. Snap.

w w w

Happy
Valentine’s Day! Let's hope ours is way way happier than Lexi's!! I usually don’t post such long stories so if you read the
whole thing, thank you. Also, if you’re a long time
reader of the blog, you know I love a good twist. I just can’t help myself. I
blame Stephen King.

This
is part of The Lost and Found: Valentine’s Edition Bloghop so join in today if
you’d like, we’d love to have you! And a big shout out to Alex and the crew for
hosting it. Thank you!

Do you remember
that special feeling of love found? And who hasn't experienced the
emotional experience of love lost? Some of you might have even lost a
love only to find that person later for another go around. Tell your story
about love lost or found in our special Valentine's blogfest. Your post can be
a short fiction, an essay, poetry, or even a song--let your imagination run
free. Any genre is fair game, be it romance, historical fiction, memoir, or
even science fiction. After all there are no limitations when it comes to
love.

I know, I love a good twist. I'm not one for sappy stuff. I looked up what the charges were for feeding people to people...hope the cops don't come knocking on the door. (Oddly enough, there wasn't much info out there. Then again, I didn't spend much time looking. Didn't want to arouse suspicion!)

Hi dear how are you doing?? This post is beautiful but always I find you write amazing.Here the weather awful soooo hot I know you like but here is awful.Maybe next weeks will go some days to beach. Beach is different I love all times.Im not happy to go out but hubby need some days.My dad is still sick and I try to help my mom when I can go.Send you loads of love my dear friend :) :)

Gloria! My dear friend! How are you? Well, I'm not quite sure it was beautiful. Cannibalism isn't all that great. I can't wait for the warm weather to hit here again so I can get to the beach too. I'm sorry to hear your dad is still ill. Big hugs to you, my friend!!

I just love Stephen King. He's wordy, but he has one twisted mind for sure. I went back and took a lot of the details out because it was over 1,000 words and since it's a hop, I didn't want to make it too long. Thanks, D!

Hi Elise - that's horrible to think about .. I think I'll eat in in future. Brilliantly well told - loved the story line - I could see their success and their love .. very clever indeed. Yughie .. that will 'live' with me for a few days!! I can't even say 'cheers' .. Hilary

I don't think I could "cheers" to this post either. It's rather gross. I was inspired by a restaurant I eat at while I lived overseas. The owner told us we were eating a cow that grazed in the meadow outside our window the day before. It was kinda sad.